Friday, 8 November 2013

Battlefield 4 is one of the top dogs for online
multiplayer. Not wanting to change the
formula for their successful shooter, DICE have decided to put a major emphasis
on altering maps rather than gameplay, keeping the game from becoming
repetitive and stale; the most essential thing for a regular releasing title to
be weary of.

First and foremost, multiplayer bugs. There have been a lot of reports of random
and strange bugs occurring during matches, such as: a certain silencer used
will mute the entire battle including the other team! I am yet to encounter anything noteworthy
(though being told I have ranked up so many times in a row can be annoying),
but they are present and will hopefully be patched out soon.

The core gameplay remains the same, with a few tweaks and
changes that make the game slightly more accessible for newer players, allowing
those who are late to the game a fair chance to fight back. The starting equipment is much better this
time round, but you will still be itching to get your hands on some new
equipment, fast, to customise your weapons to better complement your soldiering
style. With a greater selection of
weapons and equipment, there is bound to be something that suits your needs.

Using cover and going prone is a reliable move in
multiplayer, granted it won’t last long if stay still (destructible cover duh!)
but ducking and diving actually helps you stay alive, it also helps curb the
simple run-and-gun mentality many multiplayer shooters promote. Another high point, for me as a player, is the
range at which combat can take place; regularly alternating from short, medium
and long distance combat is a pleasant occurrence, leaving assholes with
nothing but a knife and a pistol out of luck.
An added bonus is that the only reliable way to kill someone with a
knife is via back stabbing, if you run head first at an enemy they have a
chance to counter.

Taking your time getting familiar with the maps does not
mean you are a dead weight to your team, spotting enemies gives your team mates
a heads up on location and is more helpful than expected. I took my time getting into Battlefield 4 by
playing recon, sitting high on a tower or building, taking pot shots at people
and spotting anything that moved; I was only getting a few kills per match but
I felt like I was contributing to the team, not holding them back.

The game modes available cover all the important gameplay
types (and no doubt more will appear as DLC), ranging from larger scale warfare
with tanks, jets and helicopters to the much tighter spaced and fast paced
Death Matches. My personal favourite is
Squad Death Match, which pits you and your squad against three other squads all
battling each other to be the first to reach 50 kills; it is more structured
than a free-for-all match, but can be much more hectic. Each game mode has specifically sized map,
infantry combat is localised to the inside of a building or on the rooftops of
a town, while Conquest opens the maps up to accommodate for vehicles.

DICE put a lot of emphasis on its unique “Levelution” maps
that alter the match both visually and tactically. These Levelutuions are either a timed event or
triggered by the players; some will flood the ground level of a map, bring a
huge storm over the islands or, most famously, destroy an entire skyscraper
which wipes out almost everything around it. The effects can be helpful, driving players
into smaller locations or giving your helicopter more manoeuvrability than the
unfortunate lot stuck on jet skis with a storm knocking them around. These dynamic maps are a great addition to an
already solid competitive first person shooter, adding a much need angle on a
tried and true formula. DICE has not
revolutionised multiplayer just yet, but I can tell the idea is here to stay,
and these maps are just so damn fun.

Being a multiplayer game, I feel it is necessary to
mention the community. During my
extensive time with Battlefield 4 I have met with a large number of pleasant and
positive players, and only on occasion have I heard someone acting like an 11
year old. It is impossible to escape the
jerks and assholes entirely, but I have to say that I have had a very positive
time playing online with the Battlefield Community.

Thursday, 7 November 2013

When I first started the Call of Duty: Ghosts campaign, I expected
a short and boring affair. I was wrong at
least once.

The single player for the 9th entry to the main series has
pushed the story from its usual 3 hour long explosion fest to an eight hour mix
of unexplored characters, clichés, and recycled explosions. There are so many
plot holes that even the biggest action fan will be left scratching their heads.

The game opens with a tale about the Ghosts, how 60 men held
off an army 500 strong to defend a hospital.
It is never explained whether there is anything important in said
hospital, whether documents, VIPs or otherwise. This then begs the question, why the hell did
they not just blow the damn thing up? To add to the absurdity of the story, the
remaining 14 soldiers go into Ghost-Mode
and manage to slaughter the remainder of the army in close quarters combat. I understand this is meant to make these
soldiers seam badass, but the delivery of the story is so cheesy and stupid
that you can’t take it seriously. In the
remaining 7.5 hours it does nothing to redeem itself; it’s a lazy explosion
fest with plot holes around every corner (dear god the plot holes), and little
to no character development.

You take control of faceless and voiceless Logan, who never
manages to develop beyond that. Some
games can pull of this approach well, such as the ever mute Gordon Freeman, but
here it feels lazy. Logan’s brother, Hesh, does all the talking and leads your
through most missions; telling you where to go or what to do, making you wait
for him to come and open doors for you, which is a staple in the CoD franchise.
The stock standard Single-Player combat is
present, with every enemy attacking you and an occasional shot fired at your
team mates – standing two feet away. If you
have played any Call of Duty game in the last seven years, there will be no surprises
here.

Every now and then you will do something interesting like
taking control of a remote control sniper rifle, or using the combat dog Riley.
These small sections are forced upon
you, no choice is given as to when or where, and the few that exist are tacked
on for a more dynamic feel but fall flat into a railroaded segment that last
for less than 60 seconds.

It was to be expected for the game to have a love affair
with the colour brown that, after seven years’ worth of games, is borderline
disturbing. I understand that taking
place after a cataclysmic event would changes the face of the country, but
after ten years has past plants would still grow, painted buildings would still
exist and the sky is going to remain blue. Thankfully, you do get around to a few
locations, taking you to a snowy landscape or scuba diving in the ocean, though
even then everything except the water is brown. I can’t understand how after all this time,
changing the colour plate never crossed their minds.

Character models function fairly smoothly, with the
exception of Riley the attack dog. When
they work they work well, but the odd running animation does not fit his
movement speed and the outlandish manoeuvres he can pull off (pulling a strapped
in helicopter pilot out of his seat as he takes off) simply don’t work.

It is creditable to see the developers at least tried to
make the game longer and more interesting, regardless of how recycled and boring
it feels; they did attempt to make it better in this respect. However it can’t make up for the blatant copy
and paste attitude the franchise has embraced for years now; from animations,
colours, right down to animations, coming from a company the size of Activision
there is no excuse.

Everything in this game feels rehashed and reused. Call of Duty: Ghosts is not a next gen game,
it belong back in 2008. It is commendable
that the developers generated a longer campaign but it is quite clear that in
its current state, Call of Duty does not have what it takes to fill more than a
three hour story.

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Battlefield 4 drops you straight into one of the most
memorable introductions a modern first person shooter has had in years. The story is anything but original, but the
well written dialog is delivered with such passion from the actors to give it the
much needed momentum, providing something more than a tacked on campaign to a
multiplayer game. The characters are
relatable (even if your character doesn’t speak) and feel sincere, their dialog
ranges further than what is to be expected from an FPS single player, touching
on things like the difficulty of telling a fallen comrades loved ones they’re
not coming home. There are even a few
Easter egg style conversations to be triggered that are pretty funny; my
personal favourite would be about the fortune cookies.

Visuals for the campaign are slick, but suffer from a few
texture pops that can be rather disturbing; sneaking up on an enemy for a
silent take down reveals a porcelain face staring you down that can be
nightmarish to anyone suffering from Pediophobia (the fear of dolls). I’m unsure if the face textures take time to
pop in or if they are designed that way, as all enemies in my trek through the
campaign suffered the same problem. The
expressionless, porcelain faced enemies only seem to have issue up close and
are unnoticeable at any distance further than a knife take down.

A major issue the campaign suffers from is only present
during intermission cutscenes, where dialog is meant to be you are met with
silence. Sound effects still there to
bring the scene to life, but everyone’s lips are flapping with no sound to be
heard (maybe they’re whispering, who knows).
Thankfully, this has no effect on the in-game dialog (the more important
of the two) and with subtitles on nothing can be missed.

Combat is much the same as the previous title, with a few
additional weapons and tweaks to the recurring ones. The controls are as tight as ever, making your
desperate sprint for cover a more practical option; diving into prone as
bullets tear you to shreds can actually save your life this time, unless you’re
hiding behind a flimsy wooden wall in which case you’re screwed. Destructible cover is present almost
everywhere, even more so than last time, and is a practical asset against your
enemies who now react to the pounding your grenades give their hiding place. Level variations take you from rain slicked
building tops to snowing mountain prisons, while layouts have your standard
waste high cover and watch towers. The dominant
colour remains blue and shades of black which has become Battlefield’s visual signature,
yet DICE has made the game visually appealing while not altering the formula too
much.

Coming from a long line of games that focus on multiplayer,
it is nice to see Battlefield take a more story driven yet realistic approach
to the single player. If you enjoyed the
gameplay of BF3 then you will be right at home with the minimal alterations to
combat and fairly realistic approach to a modern war story. Huge destructible set pieces and interesting,
if not clichéd, support characters with a relatable main cast round out a fun,
Hollywood action movie style campaign that is well worth your attention; if you
can look past the bugs.

Final Round Rating - 7.5/10

Saturday, 2 November 2013

WWE 2K14 is, once again, a disappointing wrestling game that
is still clinging desperately to its success with the Smackdown vs. Raw series
on the PS2. Sadly the WWE series has
just become a re-hashed mess year after year, and I’m not going to sugar-coat the
fact that this is a bad game.

Upon start up you are greeted by a menu screen with
plenty of options. These include Play,
which leads you to a multitude more game modes and selections; Create, where
you can create your own superstars and moves and the main feature of the game;
WrestleMania mode, where you can play through some of the most epic moments in
Wrestling in the last 30 years.

The game also has very impressive roster full of old and new
superstars alike, nevertheless you only have the new stars and a handful of oldies to pick from. None of the all-time greats are available
from the get go, not being able to play as Hulk Hogan or Randy Savage in a
quick game against a friend before first unlocking them is disappointing.

As far as game modes go, WWE 2K14 is full of different
scenarios and stages. Everything from a
backstage brawl to hell-in-the-cell is here, including the classic ring
matches. However, I am still awaiting
the return of the “fantasy” matches in which Diva’s fight to remove one
another’s clothing.

There are some really nice character models and a few
stellar cinematics, the Superstar entrances are really well put together and
very enjoyable to watch. However, that
is followed by a loading screen before you get to start playing. WeastleMania mode follows the same wavelength,
and the opening sequence is fantastic.
It made me eager to play and brought out the jumping, screaming 10 year
old in me wanting to see people leap through the air and smashing one another
around without yield or mercy. Sadly
though, the gameplay brought me back down to earth.

Despite the sheer amount of modes and options, WWE 2K14’s
biggest shortcoming is the gameplay. It
is just so repetitive and boring. Nearly
every attack from every character looks the same, with the exception of signature
moves and finishers. Now if that isn’t
enough to convince you, the control scheme is ridiculously useless. There is no clear cut way to do things
anymore. Climbing onto the corner
post/ropes to jump off and annihilate your opponent is almost as difficult as
performing micro brain surgery; even something as simple as getting in and out
of the ring is a mind-screw. All the
gameplay comes down to is spamming either the strike or grapple button, or
trying to counter oncoming attacks with the incredibly flimsy and obtuse countering
system. Just about every attack is counter-able,
with little or no variance in reward/punishment if successfully completed. In the end the gameplay is shallow and
boring, and with no tutorials to explain anything it can get downright
confusing and ultimately frustrating.

The Creator mode is still solid, even though it hasn’t
really evolved since the earlier games. It is fun to create your own character
complete with his/her own style, look, and move set and let them loose in the
ring against existing stars or another created one. But the gameplay still sucks…

WWE 2K14’s saving grace (somewhat) is the WrestleMania
mode. The possibility to play through
classic matches and stories is rather enjoyable, especially with the added
challenge of the “Historical” objectives to fully complete the challenge in
accordance to the way it actually happened.
But once again the awkward and broken controls ruin this mode.

In the end WWE 2K14 isn’t the world’s worst game, but it
certainly isn’t good either. Apart from
some spectacular looking cinematics and a short-lived thrill of bashing around
with WWE Superstars, this is a shallow fighting game with very little to offer.

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

The Arkham series stands as testament to how amazing a
licensed game can be when handled correctly, and is responsible for creating
the freeflow combat system which is now a standard combat style of third person
action games.

Warner Bros. Games Montreal were given the lofty task of
bringing the Dark Knight back to our living rooms with an origin story, introducing
famous villains for the first time through the eyes of a younger and more brash
Batman. The premise it epic; Batman has
a bounty of $50 million on his head, bringing the world’s deadliest assassins
together in Gotham city, at the behest of mob boss Black Mask. They are given one night to eliminate Batman, and
are competing against each other for the reward and honour. This has you gliding and diving all over
Gotham city, following clues and beating up thugs, just as you would in Arkham
City.

Gotham looks and feels exactly like it did in Arkham City;
obviously it’s set in the same place (that’s hard to avoid) but the game is set
during winter again, giving off the same cold, dank visuals that the
predecessor did. Not to say the game
looks bad, other than an odd visual issue here and there it looks great. Getting around the city is easy with your
grappling boost, unlocked from the start this time, or quick travel in the
Batwing once you unblock the jamming signal in each area.

Finding where to go, on the other hand, can be a huge pain
in the ass. The indicator will sometimes
plant itself as a waypoint before leading to your destination, and does not
disappear from that location until you have left the area. If you don’t know where you’re heading this
can fool you into looking around a pointless area, until you get irritated
enough to leave and it finally moves to your true destination. Issues with grappling around the city become
apparent during these trying times, some buildings have multiple grappling
points while other ledges and rooftops will have none. One in particular that becomes irritating is
down beside the bridge, you are unable to grab the side and pull yourself onto
it. I even had times where I was unable
to grapple the cranes, whose sole purpose is to help you cross at that lower
point.

Once you eventually reach your destination you are greeted
with two types of combat, either an all-out brawl or a stealth room. I say stealth room because they are all
essentially set up the same, complete with gargoyles and floor grates from
Arkham Asylum. There has been no
noticeable change for these areas, approaching enemies has been the same experience
through all three games and the repetitiveness is starting to show by the third
instalment; gadgets still don’t serve
much purpose in combat, which is disappointing.
Freeflow combat has the same issues as the stealth rooms; there are no
noticeable changes to the combat system, when it could really use some visual
tweaks. The biggest issue here is a lack
of creativity, it seems the developers were so scared of messing with the
well-established formula that they refused to alter it (for better or worse it
would seem), or give it their own unique flare.

The major change to the series is Batman himself, showing a
younger and more aggressive side of the hero we know and love today. At this point in time Batman is still unsure
of his overall purpose as a crime fighter but feels that he is on the right track,
regardless of the punishment he takes or how close he comes to death. This aggression and somewhat arrogant
personality fits the origin story well, as he learns that being Batman means more
than he ever anticipated. I really enjoyed
this side of Batman towards the villains and thugs, but it seeped into his
interactions with Alfred and he is a complete dick to him (even after his life
is saved on more than one occasion). This
change was a necessity and is appreciated in a sequel which clutches onto so
much of the previous instalments; especially when the villains suffer from the
same parallel as previous Arkham titles.

With the massive variety of villains to choose from in the
Batman/DC universe, it’s incredibly disappointing to see characters
reused again and again in major roles. I
was expecting a lot more variety this time around, to bring some of the other
villains into the spotlight for a change. When a new villain finally does appear
Batman’s interactions with them are so short lived they may as well not been in
the game, which leaves these encounters rather flat and shallow.

Characters like The Joker eat up a large portion of playtime
that could be well spent fleshing out the other assassins; the pathetic
Deathstroke appearance in particular. How
many times can the story focus on the Joker instigating Batman? Bane does play a larger role this time, but he
is still greatly overshadowed by The Joker. The confrontations themselves are rather
lacklustre and never add up to anything fresh; again the Deathstroke boss-fight
comes to mind.

The idea that each villain will teach Batman a valuable
lesson as a crime fighter or as a man is absolutely brilliant, but it
completely fails when there are only two instances that portray any kind of
personal revelation to the character. Borrowing
such a considerable amount from the last two titles stole what potential the
story had, and left us with an unoriginal plot and boring villain cameos. Batman’s
origin story is faithful to a fault to the source material established by Rocksteady,
and is unable to define itself as its own game; much like Batman was unable to
define himself in this title.

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

The Batman: Arkham series has performed highly for the last
two games, but whether Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate – the first handheld
Batman title – can step up to the plate is a whole new question.

Blackgate was not developed by Rocksteady Studios, the
series creators, or even Warner Bros. Games Montreal like Origins, but was
rather done by Armature Studio as their first original game.

From the very start of the game, Armature kept true to other
games in the series, with similar art style and the same voice actors as used
in Origins. It is easy to see that
Armature Studios worked closely with Montreal to keep the story cannon but
spoiler-free, making this a brilliant companion piece that can be played in any
order.

With a 2.5D display, Blackgate has very little frame-rate or
screen-tear issues and the gameplay feels smooth yet solid. Even with the depth of 3D graphics,
animations, ledges to swing to, and the 90 degree camera rotations, the side-on
view often feels like a side-scroller. However,
the game is quite plain. There is hardly any variation with level design and the
colour palate is stuck on grey, brown and a mixture of the two. Detective mode shows off slightly more
colour, adding in blue and orange. While Blackgate looks exciting, it ends up
feeling monotonous.

Due to the 2.5D display there is only so much can be done,
which is predominantly running back and forth, unlocking doors, and taking down
the rare pack of enemies. The best part
of the gameplay is the combat but there is just not enough. The majority of the time you run from room to
room, trying to decipher the barely readable map, attempting to open a door you
can’t find. Backtracking is a common occurrence,
especially after obtaining the required upgrade. There is nothing new in terms of gadgets either,
they are exactly the same from previous games, and are stashed conveniently
around Blackgate Prison in Wayne Enterprises boxes. When you do eventually encounter a combat scenario,
they will grab your attentions and you’ll be entirely focused and engrossed in
the action. It is a shame these fights
are all so short lived and simple, it leaves you yearning for more, and yet doesn’t
provide.

Blackgate’s biggest downfall is the lack of game modes. There is nothing on offer other than the
story. Sure, there are a few hidden objects
during the campaign, but it could benefit from some challenge maps to show off
the awesome combat system. They could
easily have shortened the story, or minimize the pointless backtracking, to
give us such a mode but instead we are left with nothing once the story is
complete. Thus, there is very little replayability.

Overall, Batman: Arkham Origins: Blackgate is a solid PS
Vita game with good visuals, an interesting story and some pretty fun gameplay
elements. Nevertheless, it falls short
in terms of gameplay modes, replayability and, at times even enjoyment. I can’t imagine there being any different on
the 3DS version either.

Final Round
Rating -
6.5/10

Monday, 28 October 2013

As this console generation comes to a close (PS3/Xbox360) we
fondly look back at all the games we’ve enjoyed, the arguments and discussions
and, of course, the fan-boy wars. But
what has kept our hold to one side more than the other? The exclusive games? The controller? The community? Or is it the ability to prove your worth
against all the others?

When boiled down, both GamerScore (Xbox360) and Trophies
(PS3) show off your gaming skill and determination. But does either of these numbers/scores hold
any real validity and, if so, which is more accurate in terms of player skill?

Both systems work on the very simple basis of completing the
game to receive an achievement/trophy for it.
Most games have different levels/tiers of achievements and trophies
depending on difficulty or progress. But
is it fair that a player with more time automatically has a better score?

When you compare GamerScore and Trophies there is one very
distinct difference. The reward for
playing a PS3 game relentlessly until you receive the Platinum Trophy is much
higher than the reward for the GamerScore equivalent, making it more visually
pleasing. However, due to the more
consistent nature of GamerScore it seems like a more public and competitive
system among the masses of online gamers.

Some argue that it is harder to improve your GamerScore than
Trophy Rank because of the lower number system, which makes it harder to rack
up points, but this is an unfair comparison.
It is all just a series of numbers.
For example, if you were to take the average Trophy level of 14 (32000pts)
and convert it to GamerScore, it will equate to roughly 20,300. There is a rather large gap between two
numbers, but this is due to Trophy points ranging from 15-180 points, whereas
Achievements range from 10-100.

Certain games are sometimes undercut or overlooked when it comes to
points. Games in the sporting genre
often get left behind, due to the different skill used in comparison to the
average First-Person-Shooter or Action game.
But this means little if you want to improve your score.

As fun and brutal as competition can be between gamers and
their scores, there is one rather large problem. For the time being all your points are just
accumulated and handed back to the player, nothing else. It also seems somewhat unfair that the more
games you play, the higher your score is.
Shouldn’t there be some sort of percentage system? Meaning a player’s
score would drop if they didn’t excel or finishing games. But then this comes with its own set of problems. What if someone only ever plays a small
handful of games, thus keeping their scored upped forever. Or what if somebody played a new game on your profile, and your score dropped as
a result of someone else? There are so
many issues that we can run into and will cause problems in the competitive
gaming world. But what are our options?

Sadly, we live in a time where keeping track of everything
is normal and your performance is always scrutinized. However, thanks to the countless amounts of
games and modes there will always be a place for you to compete, no matter your
style. In the end, it all comes down to
your skill, not the amount of hours you sink into numerous games.

Both the Trophy Rank and GamerScore hold their purpose
though, they keep you coming back to complete and 100% your favourite
titles. There is a sense of
accomplishment, though, when an Achievement or a Trophy pops. I think the next generation of consoles could
go a step further and take our competitive nature to the next level, whether
with Achievements, Trophies, or some combination of both.

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

When
Resident Evil 6 launched in late September 2012 (due to a street date break)
Capcom had prepared a lot of buzz for ResidentEvil.Net and how its features
would become essential for gamers participating in its multiplayer.

Resident Evil.Net
is an online service that brings players together to compete and participate in
online events giving each participant rewards for breaking high scores, toping
leader boards and for participation. It
offers extended online replay value for both Resident Evil 6 and Resident Evil
Revelations.

To use
RE.NET you are required to sign up, create a profile, and attach said profile
with your gaming account (PSN, Xbox Live, or Steam). By doing this you can sync your account
regularly, allowing your participation in events and the completion of missions
to be recorded and points awarded to your account. These points go towards unlocking rewards for
in-game use and profile customisation. Even
logging in regularly will reward you with a nice bonus, which continues to grow
each consecutive day you log in.

Events range
from completing missions as fast as possible, to hunting down certain enemy
kills. My favourite so far was the event
requiring every player on the network to fight and kill 100,000 J’avo in a single
week. I didn’t think this would be quite
so successful, but within the seven days we had managed to take down the J’avo
threat and were all rewarded for our help in the cause (with the highest kill
count members receiving bonuses).

Resident
Evil: Revelations was added to the service with its release early 2013 on the
PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, providing additional unlocks and more events to
participate in. With an incredibly
different gameplay the variations in events expanded, bringing a welcome breath
of fresh air.Personally, I find Revelations to have
more enjoyable events competitively and recommend it highly.

The main
reason to participate is the rewards; they can be pretty awesome, and the
ability to unlock in-game content beats the hell out of paying for it online. Each character has an unlockable EX costume,
which is a variation of the already unlockable costume available in-game. Going back to Revelations, a source of reward
is the capability to unlock a substantial range of weapons, weapon skins and
custom parts. As for unlocks on your
account there is a possibility for wallpapers, new diorama pieces, and building
your own personal outbreak.

I hope that
Capcom will broaden their attempts to create a populated online community, with
changes that chip away at the clutter of tabs and links as well as speeding up
the site. A more streamlined profile where
people can easily access and view your feats would also be a nice addition,
that way you can show-off your badassery in different evens.

If you are
unsure whether RE.NET is worth your time, consider the fact that it is
completely free and will add some spice to the multiplayer. The unlockables are only a small reason to
sign up; a common goal with the community brings a sense of accomplishment that
is otherwise unseen outside of small groups and clans. Resident Evil.Net keeps me coming back to Revelations
when I might have otherwise walked away.

Monday, 21 October 2013

It’s no
stretch to pick up a new Sonic title and fear for the worst, and Lost World is
no exception. Releasing on both the 3DS
and the WiiU, I can only comment on the 3DS version. Sonic as a handheld is both a blessing and a
curse, and the new powers and reminiscent levels add to the feeling.

To be
completely honest, I’m not sure whether I love or loath Lost World. Moments of gameplay are flowing, fast and a
pleasure to play; powers can be fun, the story has a hint of new flavour, and
things occasionally just work. But this
is not the entire game, it’s not even close.
Other segments of gameplay feel convoluted and unnecessarily difficult,
and that’s not even considering the graphics or controls that also bring this
title down.

The thing
that grates on my nerves the most with Sonic: Lost World is most definitely the
visuals during cut scenes. They are
blurry and unfocused; the closest I can come to describing them more accurately
is that they look like old school VHS footage, which has then been re-recorded with
an even older camcorder. The 3D capability
does nothing to compensate this either. But
perhaps the worst thing of all is that the story is kind of interesting. Sonic, Tails, and Eggman have conversations
and banter that any age can enjoy, and the one-liners are truly to die for.

The levels
are where the true confusion takes place.
As with most adventure platformers, there are a few different areas for
these levels (Ice and Water are amongst my most hated, ever), and with each new
area there is a new power to take control of.
Sometimes I have come across these new powers without learning how to
use them first, and am stuck figuring it out for a minute before continuing. It is near impossible to complete the level
or section of map without using the power correctly, but thankfully (and
annoyingly) if you die enough times the game takes pity on you and gifts you an
RV to power around your obstacle. Too
bad they didn’t really teach you how to use that either.

There are
occasionally multiple paths to take on your never ending quest to save the
little creatures Eggman likes to capture.
Sometimes these different paths don’t actually mean much (take the left
or right path), but other times you will be gifted with added lives, more coins
or a faster route. The only real way to
tell the difference is by completing each level numerous times, though, and I
am not sure I like it enough for that.

The special
levels also fall under the love/hate category.
You are turning in circles moving your 3DS all which ways, all just to
collect some orbs and a Chaos Emerald.
Unless you are in a private, or not too public, and with room to move
these levels can be inane, frustrating and annoying.

Controlling
Sonic is what truly kills the game. Out
of the numerous buttons and the countless possibilities of the touch screen,
there are roughly 5 buttons to use at any one time. Jump and Spin both take 2 buttons each, and
also double as attack, bounce, summersault and boost. It doesn’t seem too bad, but it can be a
massive inconvenience that you can easily lose a life to. The touch screen has some functionality as a
button, but not much.

As a 3DS
title, it’s not too bad. It is easy to
pick up and play for short sessions, but any longer and the issues become
incredibly irritating. It is easy to
look past the flaws in design while not playing, but they come crashing back as
soon as you pick it up again. It could
be an amazing game, but unfortunately Sonic: Lost World on the 3DS lacks the
final polish that it needs.

Final Round
Rating -
5.5/10

Friday, 18 October 2013

The biggest
questions people will ask about Swap Force are: is this the standard Activision
occurrence where they release the same game with minor variations, and have
they gone out on a limb and finally changed something?

Strangely Skylanders:
Swap Force fits into both of these; it is very much the same game as Spyro’s
Adventure and Giants but the all-round feel is just better, smoother and
brighter. My time with Swap Force has
been very up and down, and not only because of the new jump ability.

There are
vibrant, detailed colours that come through in every element of the game, from
the clothing on NPC’s to the thousands of coins, gems and treasures you pick
up. What they have accomplished with the
incredibly bright, popping colours has put an emphasis on the far off
backgrounds and your playable Skylander.
This has somehow made both the background and your Skylander pop, and
due to this overdrive in the playable areas it gives you a sensation of
everything bursting with colour.

Skylanders:
Swap Force’s gameplay is quite delightful.
The buttons are straight forward and there’s nothing too complicated
going on; it’s perfect for children. Even
some the older audience will enjoy it as it is a light, enjoyable game that can’t
be smashed through in one sitting. This
is because of Swap Force’s difficulty system; while it doesn’t make the game
crushingly hard, it still offers a decent challenge.

There is a pretty
basic, yet solid, upgrade system for unlocking new abilities and button
combinations. If there wasn’t this game
would consist of nothing but a series of mashing the same two buttons over and
over. Another great feature is the
challenges that are scattered throughout the game. They are fun and varied, albeit awkwardly
controlled at times, which can be frustrating at first but the controls don’t
take long to get used to.

Skylanders:
Swap Force does come with its flaws. The
ability to jump at will is a fantastic improvement, but it feels like there
should be a double jump. It’s almost as
if they don’t trust us with this awesome power, and are forcing us to take
baby-steps. It would have also been nice
to start will all the “basic” attacks, rather than needing to unlock them; you
can purchase your third base attack when you get to the first town, but it
would have been nice to start out with it.

Finally, and
this is a huge No-No in my books, is the fact that there are certain areas as
early in the game as the first area that you simply cannot go into unless you
have a Skylander of that type. The fact
that the “Starter Pack” does not come with everything you need to play even the
starter-zone is really a massive slap in the face, especially when considering
the price a Skylander figurine.

As far as
the actual “Swapping” in Swap Force goes, it feels a little pointless. It is a cool idea and gimmick to make the
game that little bit more dynamic, especially since you can “swap ‘n’ change”
your Skylander on the fly. However it
doesn’t add all that much to the game, and it would have been just as good
without it.

Although
expensive, and kind of mean, Activision has done some fantastic marketing and put
it with a pretty good game, making Skylanders: Swap Force a very fun game that
can be deemed worthy of the hefty investment, especially for the younger
audience.

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

Dragon's Crown is a visually stunning sidescroller that takes
place in an epic fantasy world filled with huge monsters, villainess characters
and of course, Dragons.

The world of Dragon's Crown is lush and colourful, with a
variety of locations to loot and destroy all the while being recounted by wonderfully
appropriate narrator. Each step you take
is described by this delightful storyteller, who gives the game just as much
life as the brilliant visual style. Locations
range between Orc infested subterranean strong holds, to lush forests with
shadowy guardians; there is a fair amount of back tracking to be had during the
adventure, but it is mostly forgivable simply because of how detailed and
beautiful they backdrops are.

To begin your adventure you must first choose your hero,
there are 6 to choose from but don’t have too much in the way of variety. Each class does come with a choice of colour palette
that adds a small level of individuality, especially for anyone planning to
play online. These classes all have
their own small twist on the standard 3-hit-combos you see in most beat ‘em up
title, but end up feeling too similar to each other, which edges out some
replayability. The Elf is, by far, the
most interesting of the lot as she has fast melee attacks and a bow for ranged
attacks as well; the magic users are almost exclusively ranged, and the melee characters
are restricted to only hand-to-hand combat.

One of the first problems that will arise is the lack of
abilities or unlockable combos; everyone gets a standard combo attack by
mashing square, and a specialty attack with circle. The Fighters’ special is absolutely useless,
unless its power is upgraded and even then you are lucky to hit anyone with it,
and what’s worse is your weapon remains stuck in the ground for a period of
time. The loss of weapons effects the
melee classes exclusively, and is an incredibly pointless addition to the game;
special abilities lose your weapon, being stunned will lose your weapon, being
hit to hard will lose your weapon, and every time there is a cool down that
leaves you fighting off your enemies with your incredibly weak fists.

There are upgrades to be purchased as well as Armour and
loot to be found on your adventures, which add to the RPG feel of the game, but
the only item that actually changes when equipped is your weapon (or shield)
while the rest of your armour remains the same. The amount of new abilities to unlock is
rather scarce; upgrading attacks, health, and other attributes are surprisingly
abundant though as each upgrade has multiple levels to put your hard earn gold
into. Unfortunately the lack of new
skills does add to the issue of similarity between classes and other players as
they fight identically with the same class.

You have two companions that are always with you, who get in
the way more than they help; the Rogue unlocks doors and chests for you (why
you have to wait for him and could not just do it yourself is beyond me), while
the fairy tells you where secrets are (or everyone chest and door in front of
you by sitting in your way). To add to
the mayhem, you are able to have three more companions tag along on your trip.

Accidentally leaving your party empty is far too
easy to do as your party resets every time you finish a missions. They can sometimes show up half way through a
mission but that is not a reliable option.
This also bothers me, as a somewhat solo player being teamed up without
my approval can get annoying. When you
plan ahead and bring along the people you want it can be an epic experience.

Through
Dragon's Crown you will obviously encounter monsters and magical creatures to
put to the sword, while there the standard offering of Orcs, Goblins and Skeletons,
the ferocious bosses are where the best combat lies. Beasts from the deepest depths of the ocean
will come for you, tearing your ship down as you fight back against what seems
like a hopeless scenario. Death itself
will swing its scythe for you, forcing you and your party to bring every ounce
of courage you can muster see the sun once more. Minotaur’s will try to drag your broken body
down into the dark resting place of so many other poor souls before you, and
crushing each and every one of the under your mighty boot as so damn rewarding.

Dragon's
Crown offers a fifty/fifty experience; on one hand the combat is easy to pick
up and play, but it gives little in the way of deeper gameplay for an experienced
beat ‘em up player. The enemies are
fantastic and wonderfully creative, but you will be facing off against these
foes to grind experience to even compete with the next demon.

As a PlayStation
Vita title it rests well in the short burst, pick up and play style which seams
to be the direction the game was originally headed (exclusively too). As for the PlayStation 3 version, it may look
nicer on your big screen but it doesn't have the deeper gameplay we have come
to expect.

PSV Final Round Rating - 7.5PS3 Final Round Rating - 6

Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Catching
them all is more challenging, and fun, than ever before in the sixth generation
of Pokémon. Game Freak has once again
outdone themselves, bringing a 3D world to life with great graphics, a spectacular
story and plenty of Pokémon to catch.

There are so
many Pokémon in X/Y that there are three separate Pokédex for the Kalos region
(Central, Coastal and Mountain), and each hold approximately 150 Pokémon; that
means, even though Kalos only brings 68 new Pokémon to the table, the region
holds over half the known Pokémon in existence.

If you still
aren’t excited, the newly discovered Fairy-type Pokémon are awesome. When this additional Pokémon type was first
unveiled I was sceptical, later the idea intrigued me, but now I realise what a
great addition it is. Rather than just a
few random new Pokémon with this type, Game Freak have actually overhauled a
few of the older generation, such as Clefairy and Marill. Fairy-type fit nicely into the compatibly
chart, and Dragon-type now have some proper competition.

Of course a
great game doesn’t come from the amount of Pokémon you can catch, it also comes
from how they battle, interact, and are trained. Without deriving from the classic turn-based
style of combat, Pokémon battles are now more cinematic and flowing, moving at
a faster pace and feeling that much smoother.
Most thankfully, Pokémon are no longer 2D pixelated sprits during
battles, and their sounds and animations are amazing.

Horde
battles come as a bit of a fun surprise; you can either summon them, with
honey, or be a chance encounter. The
Pokémon in these battles are normally 5 or so levels behind other Pokémon in
the area, and are normally quite easy to best, especially if you have abilities
that hurt multiple enemies. I have yet
to come across a horde of Zubat in a cave; otherwise I might feel differently
about them.

Another new
feature is Mega Evolution which can be either amazing or boring, depending on
how you use it. Using Mega Evolution
against either dim witted AI or wild Pokémon it can be completely impractical,
as you steamroll them, which takes the fun out of it. But it is very useful against Gym Leaders and
in online arenas, even if everyone has a Mega Lucario and one or more of the
Mega starters. Remember though, you can
only Mega Evolve one Pokémon per battle, so use it wisely.

You can also
train the base stats of the Pokémon in your party using Super Training, using
specific punching-bags or by playing a soccer-like mini game for that stat you
want raised. Luckily, there is a cap on
how much you can train your Pokémon, and once that is reached only levelling
will increase those stats, otherwise there is no telling what the online
community would be like. Promotional
Videos, taking photos and even playing with your Pokémon in Pokémon-Amie or
Super Training, add an extra element to the otherwise tried and true yet
repetitive combat.

The Player
Search System is a great way to verse and trade with the thousands of other
players around the world, upgrading upon the system in Black/White. With just a tap of the touch screen we can
even watch each other’s Promotional Video’s and see their profile image and
information (such as country, favourite Pokémon type/colour). Interacting with other players has never been
easier or more fun.

Story-wise
there is very little deviation from earlier titles, you play as a ten year-old,
from a very small town (like, three buildings) and the Pokémon Professor wants
you to complete the Pokédex for him.
Simple stuff. The main alteration
in the early stages is the speed of game progression and the fact that you have
four friends/rivals, rather than only two.
Team Flare, like earlier villainous teams, are out for themselves and
it’s your job, of course, to put a stop to them. There is nothing quite like finding a grunts
“key card” after he drops it and tells you “I must have dropped it 9 paces away
from me, at the boulder.” Their gaudy
red uniforms and sense of flair let you know when they are around.

It is hard
to go wrong with a core Pokémon game, and yet Game Freak continues to add more
and more to the series. More Pokémon,
more people, a new area to explore; not to mention the great 3D world, full of
amazing deigns and intrigue. On the
surface a kid’s game with simple controls and an even simpler story, can be
just as intriguing and involving to the older audience. Whether you want to complete your massive
Pokédex, learn the secrets of Mega Evolution or just be the very best there
ever was, X and Y are an excellent next step in the evolution of Pokémon.

Final Round Rating - 9/10

Saturday, 12 October 2013

When
approaching a game like Beyond you have to understand what kind of game it is;
it’s not an action game, it’s not a stealth game and it’s certainly not boring either.
Beyond exists in a world of its own,
something only comparable to other games developed by Quantic Dream. Nothing comes close to the scope this game
offers, the many places, time periods, and people all serve a purpose; to help
us understand exactly who Jodie Holmes is.

Quantic Dream
spent a vast amount of time working closely with the games lead actors/voice
actors Ellen Page and Willem Defoe to capture their performance precisely; from
the way Jodie walks during a hot summer’s day, to Nathans anguished facial
expressions. Everyone in the game looks
incredibly realistic and conveys a level of realism that is not bound simply by
graphics, something that’s only able to be expressed through the brilliant
writing and the talented cast of actors. Ellen Page’s performance really brings
together the entire picture, you really feel for Jodie and understand her as a
person and as pieces of the puzzle slowly come together you begin to understand
who she is; precisely what she is struggling to do.

While it is
visually astounding, Beyond can suffer from some sporadic texture pop-ins and
pixelated shading; these only occurs on objects at a distance, but are
noticeable.

The game
plays similar to Heavy Rain but is much sleeker and simple to use, there are
less button prompts – which seems daunting at first but becomes second nature
after a short amount of use – and some
remnants of the old tank controls do surface but it is a rare occasion. The simple visual prompts and lack of HUD adds
to the games cinematic feel and really engrosses you into the story. Combat and
action scenes rely on Jodie’s body motion to indicate what to do, and thanks to
the handy slowdown feature the action sequences flow smoothly like a film. There is more freedom than in previous Quantic
Dream games, curiosity and spending time investigating things are rewarded with
bonuses and unlocks.

Interacting
with environments is done in one of two ways: using Jodie as a normal person,
or using Aiden as a floating entity to interact in a more poltergeist manner. With these two characters and their varying
abilities, gameplay has considerable variation; stealth and open combat are
possibilities that only scratch the surface of their interactions with the world.

Jodie does
not directly control Aiden which can lead to some funny or terrifying outbursts
from him, especially when he doesn’t like a situation. The relationship between the two is a
difficult one; their souls are tethered together, unable to leave each other’s
side is both a blessing and a curse equally.

Beyond takes
place over roughly fifteen years of Jodie’s life, beginning with her as a very
young girl and following her to adulthood. During this time you follow her extraordinary
life and help her make choices along the way that alter her views and decisions
later. The experiences Jodie has (whether
for the better or worse I won’t say) evolve you as a player, the decision
maker, which in turn develops Jodie as a character. Quantic Dream knows how to get your adrenalin
pumping and your palms sweating, weaving it into an incredible and
unforgettable adventure where action and suspense go hand in hand with the
story.

Beyond is
not for everyone, but is the most accessible title Quantic Dream has created to
date. Those that take the time to play
it will find a masterfully enthralling story with a likewise complete world to
go with it. To have a character who not
only has a face and name, but a history and a personality is a refreshing
experience from the usually emotionless killing machine. Jodie Holmes history is complicated, that is
why she is a marvel to follow, and her story is expressed through your gameplay
choices and decisions. It’s not about
killing everything that moves, or fighting for some greater good; it’s about
Jodie Holmes, to understand who she is and where her place in the world is.
Beyond: Two Souls is her story.

Final Round
Rating - 9.5/10

Friday, 11 October 2013

F1 2013 is an
average game that does a poor job of bringing the world of Formula 1 to the
living room.

From the
moment the game starts up with the opening cinematic I found myself thrown off
by screen tearing and frame rate issues.
This doesn’t ruin the playability of the game, but the texture pop-ins
are only marginally short of unbearable. When the grass or gravel suddenly decides to appear
on the side of the track it is downright distracting. The real cherry on the cake, though, is the
landscapes; trees and mountains are 2D and the surrounding buildings and spectators
look acceptable, for maybe the last console generation. Thankfully the road looks pretty decent.

After making
it through the intro and finally into the game you get the option to choose between
3 racing teams: Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull Racing. This leads into a mediocre scene with your pit
crew working on your car and the mandatory tutorials (including watching videos
on how to corner, ect.).

It is
possible to quit to the main menu to find the other game modes, though. The additional modes, other than the Career
Mode, include: Grand Prix, Time Trials, Scenario and the new addition of
Classic Mode. Classic mode pretty much
puts the same gameplay on the same track in slightly slower, older cars with a
different HUD and a slight sepia tint.

It sometimes
feels as if F1 2013 just doesn’t know where it should fit in, is it a
simulation or an arcade racer? It doesn’t
really hit either style. There is
absolutely no visual vehicle damage, and what wear there is, is internal and
displayed on the HUD. This doesn’t cut
it, we should see a change to the car and feel our mistakes, not just have the
car look 100% but drive like a bumper car on a gravel road.

In any
racing game, simulation or otherwise, the cars are understandably
important. There is a respectable amount
of choice with cars and drivers, but there is nothing particularly unique or
even enjoyable about them. When it is
hard to read the sponsor stickers on the cars due to low resolution pixels, you
know something’s not right. These
details might not annoy everyone, but it’s enough to lower the enjoyment for
many people.

Although the
franchise has been going steady, F1 2013 isn’t up to scratch. It feels like the last few entries in the
series have not progressed, other than a very few technical and visual
upgrades. If you are a Formula 1 fan and
have enough love for the sport, you may find this somewhat entertaining, maybe.

Final Round Rating:5/10

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

Rain is more
of an experience than a game; it is light on story but heavy on emotion, and
throughout your journey amidst the rain slicked streets and abandoned buildings
you will form an unspoken bond with the young girl you set out to help.

When the
game begins the young hero is bed ridden and can’t leave to see the circus he wished
to visit. As he gazes out his window he
sees the silhouette of a young girl being chased by a towering unknown creature,
and stumbles out of bed then out the window to help her. There is no dialog, instead story shown
through text that appears on walls and surfaces around the environment. It’s a simple method of storytelling, but it
builds off the games atmosphere and really causes you to feel the loneliness portrayed.

Getting around
in Rain is simple enough; running, jumping and climbing are the only buttons
you require, and are all responsive during tense moments where you need to act
fast. The most essential ability in the
game is the skill to disappear into places not affected by the downpour. This helps you hide from the creatures that
hunt you, and are obvious enough so you don’t miss them in a crucial
moment. The real challenge you face is
sneaking past monsters that have walked into the sheltered area, as the also
become invisible, however their footprints are visible so it’s mainly about
caution and timing.

The biggest
threat in the game is a creature called The Unknown that acts very much like
Nemesis (from Resident Evil 3), it is never too far behind and is a constant
looming threat as to where it will attack next, which turns some levels into a
tense game of cat and mouse.

Creature
designs are strange but fit the part nicely; they follow the silhouette trend,
like the boy and girl, but the few details are strange enjoyable to look at. The cityscape and the later abstract version
look great, rain slicked and dark as a rainy night should look. Levels have a few enjoyable variations, the
factory being especially tense to sneak through. Some of the city pieces can feel a little
repetitive, each level is in a different location but it all takes place in the
same town/city; though, the later stages do take a surprising twist.

Unfortunately
Rain does suffer from some frame rate issues at times, and its simplistic style
can make the game feel very easy at times. Once the game has been beaten, collectables
become available, which adds to the replay value and chapter select (with
checkpoint select), allowing you to jump straight back into the parts that you
loved.

When Clair
de﻿ Lune begins to play as you run through the empty streets, the beauty of the
game really shines. Rain is one step closer to making video games an art form
(if you don’t think they are already) and is well worth anyone’s time, gamer or
otherwise.

Final Round
Rating - 4.5/5

- Will Flynn

Note:
We at Final Round Gaming believe that Downloadable and Indy games should be
rated on a different scale to that of Triple A titles/disk releases. Because of this, our ratings for this category
are out of 5.

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Pro
Evolution Soccer 14 runs on a modified version of Kojima productions Fox Engine,
which is being used to build the next game in the Metal Gear series, leading me
to the question how and why PES 14 look so bad? With everything this engine can produce (check
out the Phantom Pain tailer), it’s hard to understand why my Huangyin Qingshun
football team doesn’t look Chinese.

Most players
have a very European look to them and have very little variation with the ready-made
team builds. This brings me to the
crowds visuals; there is approximately 5 to 10 variations (sometimes they wear
hats!) of supporters and they all look awful, from the jerky animations to the
pixelated body’s. Close ups on players
(after scoring in particular) are laggy, and downright unappealing to the eye.

Controlling
your player can be difficult while attempting tighter turns or stepping your
opponent, I found myself sprinting beside them most of the time and out running
them to get into a clear shooting position. Other than exploiting this one
weakness in the lower difficulty matches, the oppositions AI are actually
rather intelligent, not allowing you to run rings around them without
understanding the deeper gameplay on offer.

PES 14
offers a lot of customisation options for characters, stadiums, and even the leagues
themselves. This is a welcome feature considering the issues with the standard
teams not appearing as they should. Creating
your own player will allow you to play through the Legends Mode (or with any player
that is already available), so you can have your own customised player or try
and create one that is not available in PES 14.

The biggest
option PES14 offers is the Football Life game mode; stepping into the shoes of
your team, as well as taking care of players off field. Sinking hours into Football Life is an easy
option for those who live and breathe Football, and offers PES 14 a deeper edge
on its competition.

There are
four Major Leagues to play through, covering Europe, Latin America, and Asia;
unfortunately, other than titles and teams, the Cups do not differ and feel the
same across the board. Thankfully
Exhibition Matches are fast and easy to access and picking your favourite team
means they are always selected for you.

PES 14 is
not a large step forward for the genre, encountering some rather unflattering
visual issues and repetitive Leagues. However,
it is easier to access than previous instalments and can offer a lot of fun for
those who are willing to put in the effort to learn the deeper playing style
that Pro Evolution 14 offers.